Director of Strategic Partnerships

CDC Global Solutions; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

CDC Global Solutions is seeking a Senior Director of External Partnerships to lead and expand strategic client collaborations in pharmaceutical formulation. The role combines science, program delivery, and high-level partnership management to drive multi-project programs across CDMO and biopharma contexts.

You will oversee 3-4 concurrent R&D partnerships, mentor a small team, and steward proposal scoping, timelines, and risk management, with regular travel to Toronto.

Qualifications

• Strong pharmaceutical leadership experience in CDMO/CRO environments.
• Experience managing multiple external R&D partnerships and client-facing programs.
• Ability to guide cross-functional teams and communicate technical concepts to clients.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage 3-4 concurrent client R&D projects or one large strategic agreement.
• Lead all client communications including progress updates and technical readouts.
• Define project execution plans, timelines, milestones, risks and deliverables.
• Collaborate with internal scientists to frame experimental design and next-step recommendations.
• Present data and project outcomes to client teams with credibility.
• Coach a team of 3-4 scientists/robotics operators on project execution and client readiness.
• Identify opportunities for follow-on projects and larger collaborations.

Job description

Senior Director of External Partnerships

Location: Toronto preferred; hybrid/remote considered with regular travel to Toronto

Reports to: Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer

CDC is proud to be retained by a fast-growing, AI-enabled pharmaceutical formulation company operating at the intersection of machine learning, robotics, and deep formulation science - accelerating drug product development in partnership with biopharma and CDMO organisations.

This is a role for someone who has operated in a CDMO or CRO environment and knows what it actually takes to deliver high-quality formulation development programs. This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior leadership role where science, delivery, and strategic client partnership all converge.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary relationship owner for multiple external R&D partnerships.
• Manage 3-4 concurrent client R&D projects, or oversee one large strategic agreement.
• Lead all client communications: progress updates, technical readouts, steering discussions, and escalation management.
• Own and identify project execution plans, timelines, milestones, risks and deliverables.
• Understand formulation development workflows well enough to challenge assumptions, identify technical risks, and communicate trade-offs to clients.
• Work with internal scientists to frame experimental design, formulation strategy, data packages, and next-step recommendations.
• Present data and project outcomes to client teams with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
• Manage and support a team of approximately 3-4 experimentalists and/or robotics operators.
• Coach team members on project execution, communication quality, client readiness, and operational discipline.
• Partner with business development and scientific leadership to expand successful client relationships into larger, longer-term collaborations.
• Identify opportunities for follow-on projects, platform expansions, and strategic agreements.
• Support proposal scoping, project design, and technical input for new partnership opportunities.

Required Experience:

• Strong pharmaceutical science background, ideally in OSD, modified release, biologics, injectables, or other complex formulation areas.
• Experience managing technical R&D programs, client-facing projects, or complex development workstreams.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with different stakeholders, timelines, and priorities.
• Prior alliance management, program leadership, or strategic account ownership experience.
• Strong client-facing presence, with the technical depth to earn credibility with formulation scientists and development leaders.
• Experience presenting scientific or technical data to external customers or senior internal stakeholders.
• Experience working with both emerging biotechs and large pharmaceutical companies.
• Ability to manage scope, timelines, expectations, and difficult client conversations without damaging relationships.
• Experience leading or coordinating technical teams, ideally including lab-based scientists, experimentalists, or automation/robotics operators.

Bonus:

• Exposure to AI-enabled drug development, automated experimentation, high-throughput screening, robotics, or digital formulation workflows.